Thanks, that's interesting. It sounds related to some of the information I read comparing the NAEP test (which is something completely different from MAP) to state tests. The NAEP itself is only given in 4th, 8th and 12th grade. Here's some summary info on that: NAEP overview

Argh, I can't really even complete this thought. I'm being paged constantly by the kids this weekend!

Thanks for clarifying. My acronyms were blurring together late last night. This was the link for the full report that the quote came from:
http://www.nwea.org/assets/research/national/State%20of%20State%20standards%20-%20complete%20report.pdf

I think I found the MAP data I needed. It's 2005 Placement Guidelines and shows RIT values for gifted (they use 95%)at each grade level. For 2nd grade they have Gifted RIT value of 198 for Fall Math and 201 for Fall Reading. Unfortunately they don't have the 2008 Placement Guidelines available yet with 1st grade scores. I think this will be enough to show that there's something off with the percentile the teacher told me for my daughter and the RIT values she gave me for the 1st grade gifted program.

http://www.nwea.org/assets/downloads/981/Placement%20Guidelines1.pdf

This site has information for putting the RIT value to use:
http://www.wwgschools.org/Northwest%20Evaluation%20Association.htm

For example:

RIT scores between 181 and 190
Whole Numbers
Subtract a 2-digit number from a 3-digit number with a single regrouping
Identify the division facts related to a multiplication fact with one factor as 1,2,3,4,5 and the other factor 0-9


I think this will be useful in advocating for specific differentiated instruction.

Well, it should be useful in advocating ...

... but my ds's school wasn't inclined to use his MAP scores to differentiate. Maybe your dc's school will be more open to the idea. I was aghast at how my ds-then-5's teacher and administrators had his info sitting in front of them (RIT 186 in January, 192 in April as a Ker, not to mention his 3SD+ IQ score AND his >99.9 percentile WIAT achievement scores), and still refused to do anything about it.

Don't mean to sound all gloom-and-doom -- I hope your school is more receptive than my ds's was. Just know that what seems pretty cut-and-dry to you may not take shape as you hope, so be prepared for a -- I don't want to say "battle," but at least a push back from the school. I thought my ds's scores screamed for some differentiation at the very least, and preferably acceleration since his reading scores were almost equally high, but it didn't end up that way -- "social concerns," "organizational concerns" and all.

Can you tell we had a pretty bad experience and I'm just a *snitch* disillusioned?

Would someone be so kind as to explain to me what RIT scores are? I am gathering all my data for the p/t conference on Friday, have all the MAP data but cannot discover, exactly, what RIT means.

Thanks!

From http://www.nwea.org/assessments/map.asp

What is the RIT scale?
The scale NWEA uses to measure a student's progress is called the RIT scale, short for Rasch Unit. The RIT scale is an equal-interval scale much like centimeters on a meterstick. It is used to chart a student's academic growth from year to year.
If you would like more information on the RIT scale, refer to the following materials:
Hambleto, R.K. , Swaminathan, H., & Rogers, J. (1991). Fundamentals of Item Response Theory. Newbury Park: Sage.

Ingebo, G. (1997). Probability in the Measure of Achievement. Chicago: MESA Press

Wright, B.D. & Stone, M. (1979). Best Test Design. Chicago: MESA Press.

Visit http://edres.org/irt/ for introductory material about the item response theory and the Rasch model.

az1,
It's important to note that the RIT is not grade level dependent but the percentile (NWEA norm) is grade level dependent. I think that's the problem I'm having with my daughter's results.

Here's a good slide show about the MAP test and slide # 15 highlights the difference between RIT and percentile.

http://www.mvcsc.k12.in.us/nwea/datacoach

That link isn't working anymore. This is a similar slide but you'll need to click it a few times:

http://springfield.ccsdschools.com/www/s...mod_8_03.ppt#44
or this
http://tinyurl.com/3gorbk

Mia,
Thanks for the warning and I had a steep learning curve last year while advocating for health and wellness issues at the school. It reminded me of a quote from the book “Straight Man” by Richard Russo. The main character was describing the university budget process and said, “This budgetary danse macabre, a semester-by-semester ritual is ridiculous. There’s no valid reason why we can’t be told the semester before if the soft money to cover all necessary sections of freshman composition will in fact be made available. To expect reason is where the fallacy lies.” There were a few other good quotes that captured the frustration in advocating.

So I’m going in expecting the gifted danse macabre but at least the district seems relatively progressive when it comes to gifted education. It’s the only district in the state with a magnet school accelerated cluster for full time gifted education (unfortunately it doesn’t start until grade 3) and there is a local chapter of the state gifted advocacy group. A nationally renowned psychologist in gifted issues practices in our town and is a coauthor of “A Parents Guide to Gifted Children.” He spoke at a gifted advocacy night held at the magnet school and the district’s website has some of his articles posted on the gifted education section. If we can’t get by roadblocks at the school, we’ll probably pay the big bucks for him to do an assessment and advocate on our daughter’s behalf.

In the meantime, I’m trying to be “patiently impatient” as was recommended in “A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Education.” I read another quote somewhere else that I’m trying to keep in mind:
“The essence of advocacy is to keep a conversation going.” Bob Babbage

I sent in letters to the school today asking for MAP test clarification so now I’m back to repeating the “patiently impatient” mantra to myself and providing enrichment at home.

Thanks for the explanation inky. I am waiting for the complete MAP testing numbers. I hope to get them this Friday. I pulled NWEA RIT for 2008 and the 2005 placement guidelines but am waiting to get the complete MAP "picture" on Friday. I will definitely be back with my scores, looking for advice on my next move.

Thanks again for the info.

You're welcome & good luck az1

The link I posted earlier about RIT being grade level independent isn't working now. Here's the same slide on another site. It's slide #44:
http://springfield.ccsdschools.com/www/s...mod_8_03.ppt#44
or this
http://tinyurl.com/3gorbk